Chapbook Project; Collaborative Poetry Project

Part 1/Period 1: Chapbook poetry A - G.

During period one, please complete the following chapbook project based on the collection of poems you read this weekend. If you did not complete your reading of the chapbook, please do so now. You. Alone. Reading. Now. You need to do this part first.

When you have read the collection of poems, please choose your favorite poem from the collection.
Prepare this poem to perform (deliver orally) in front of the class next class (Wednesday, Nov. 16). Your poem does not have to be memorized, but you will be graded on how long you can sustain your eye contact, how well you are prepared, and how effective your delivery of the poem is. I suggest using notecards (write the lines on the card) and use the cards as you did your speech exercises or your coffeehouse reading. Give important lines or phrases their own card (or memorize parts of the poem--particularly the opening and closing lines) so that you make direct and sustained eye contact.

To help you do your best when performing a poem/reading:

1. When speaking someone else's words, you will need to know what the author means. Look up and define for yourself any words you are unsure of in meaning.

NOTE: it is very clear when a student does not prepare because he/she often reads to us in a boring, atonal way (like hitting the same note on a piano for 5 minutes), or because the speaker acts like this is the first time he/she has spoken these words out loud. Do yourself a favor (and your grade...) Prepare/rehearse and physically speak the words, I pray you, trippingly on the tongue...as Shakespeare wrote.

2. Consider who the speaker of the poem may be. Is this person a housewife, or a mechanic, or a brother, or son, or young or old? Why might this persona be speaking? (is there a special reason?) To whom may this character be speaking to? How might this speaker sound? Try to create this experience for your audience.
3. If the poet repeats lines or phrases, consider why the author is doing this?
4. What images stand out strongly or vividly to you? It is often a good thing to slow down during descriptive moments of a poem.
5. Where does the climax or most important line in the poem occur? It is often helpful to raise the tension of the poem using our voice. Consider using an appropriate TONE of voice during this section.
6. If a poet lists a great number of things (like in slam poetry) it is often a good idea to increase the pace of this section.
7. Consider gestures or posture. Is your character happy, sad, bored, eager, excited, fearful, or any other emotion? How will you best convey this to your audience through your body, facial expressions, or voice?
8. Is your character performing an action? If so, what gestures could you include in your performance that might help aid understanding?

Use the time in class during period 3 to select and practice reading your poem. Make some choices about how you will best perform the poem for the class. You may wish to work with a partner when rehearsing so he/she can give you feedback about the effectiveness of your choices.

Part II: The Collaborative Poem

Watch these video performances:

• Black and White.
• Spit.
• Naomi Shihab Nye & Robert Bly perform Rumi.
• How to Impeach the Worst President
• Hold My Tongue

1. Get into groups of 2, 3, or 4. No one should work alone for this project.

2. After you have chosen your groups, gather together and decide on a topic or theme for your poem. As most collaborative slam poetry, it might be easiest to agree on a political or social problem that you are all concerned with. To gather ideas, each person in the group should suggest a topic, write down the topic, then go around the circle adding other options. After you have gone around a few times (and everyone has at least contributed two ideas) look at the list and agree on a topic.

Go no further than this step. Your group should FIRST agree with the topic. When you have decided, please let me know what your group has decided is their topic/subject, and go on to step #3.

3. The rules:

A. All group members must speak.
B. All group members must contribute to the poem in some significant way.
C. Help each other.
D. Include gestures and "blocking" for your performance.

You may find it helpful to first come up with a response line or choral line: a repeated line that all group members recite together or at different times to cue your group members as to where you are in the poem. Write the draft of the poem together first. Once you have a draft, print out enough copies for each of your members, then gather to practice and block the performance.

This project is not yet due. You should pick your groups, decide on a topic, and begin your writing of the first draft by the end of class. I suggest using Google docs so that all members can contribute while sitting at their computer stations. To do this, SHARE your document with your members. Give members editing privileges.

HOMEWORK: Please prepare your chosen poem from your poetry collection (part 1) for next class. Here are some tips for memorizing parts of your poem from PoetryOutLoud:

• Rewrite your poem by hand several times. Each time, try to write more and more of it from memory.
• Read your poem aloud before going to sleep at night, and repeat it when you wake up.
• Carry around a copy of your poem. You’ll find several moments throughout the day to reread or recite it.
• Practice your poem by saying it to family and friends.